Fall 2018 exhibit – Jolly

Big Empty Head

Artist: Marilyn Jolly

Artist statement: I feel a strong connection to the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi, sometimes described as an appreciation of beauty that is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete and is often centered on the idea of transience.

Fragility, directness/essence of a thing, repetition, structure, imperfection, process and time, observation of the natural world; these are some of the influences on my work.

It is second nature for me to notice the way things are structured and I am compelled to incorporate elements of focused organization or structure in much of my work.

Attention to my breath, noticing/present awareness in my mind and body and the world around me inform my work. I am reminded to have a sense of humor about my own imperfections and discomfort in my human condition as I pursue my art practice. Elements of this are reflected in the awkwardness in some of my forms and the ‘imperfect” or layered surfaces of found materials and paint in my work. I am curious about materials and various processes and attracted to surfaces that seem to reflect a sense of time and use.